I believe that one of the main advantages of therapy is you can get a treatment that is tailored for you. You’re getting my one on one time, so why should you expect a standardised treatment that doesn’t really fit you? As a result, describing what I do in therapy is difficult, as it can look different from client to client.

That being said, here are some of the things I take seriously as a therapist.

Honesty

I believe therapy works best when there is real honesty between me and my clients. You should never need to wonder about what I’m really thinking, and I won’t try and trip you up by asking you a question to prove a point. I want you to be honest with me because it’s important for good therapy, so it’s only fair that I’m honest with you too.

Evidence based

I work hard to stay up to date with evidence regarding mental health. If I bring something up in therapy, It’s based on actual research, and not just my own opinion. That being said, evidence from research on other people isn’t more relevant than your own experiences so feel free to disagree with me!

Collaborative

When you break your arm, how you feel about your arm, or what you think might fix your arm is irrelevant. The evidence is clear, you need to put your arm in a cast and rest it for six-to-eight weeks. 

Mental health isn’t like that. Everyone’s recovery from mental illness looks different, and something works perfectly for one person might be completely ineffective for another. That means me and you need to work out together what sort of therapy you need, as well as what needs to change in your life for your recovery.

Flexible

Do you want to do a mixture of online sessions and face to face? Is it useful for us to do some sessions in different settings? Are you interested in making sessions more practical, or do you think sessions should feel more exploratory? Research suggests there’s lots of different ways to do effective therapy, so if you have a preference, I’m happy to try it. My number one priority is helping you, not making you do a particular type of therapy that doesn’t suit you.

Presence

If you are seeing me for therapy, you have my full and undivided attention. I believe this is one of the most important things I can do as a therapist.  I take this very seriously, and manage my own caseload to make sure I can always give you this.

You can read more about my approach to therapy on my blog, or on my ADHD page.